FinTech
Ant-backed Indonesia’s Akulaku considers SPAC merger at $2B value – report
"Both parties have signed an exclusive relationship," a person familiar with the matter told TechNode Global.
Jakob Rost on how Ayoconnect’s open finance solutions foster an ecosystem of synergy in the finance industry [ORIGIN Innovation Awards Q&A]
With the regulatory foundation that is being developed across the region, the rapidly growing internet population, and rising digital financial services adoption, we can expect a trend towards healthier competition among the players and better protection of consumers’ rights.
UK-based Global Processing Services upsizes funding round, with participation of Temasek & MissionOG
Global Processing Services (GPS) has upsized funding round by approximately $100 million with participation of Temasek and MissionOG. This brings the total amount raised in its latest round to $400 million. Advent International and Viking Global co-led the previous $300 million round.
Indonesian wealthtech startup Pluang secures $55M funding led by Accel
Pluang has raised $55 million in a funding round led by Accel, with participation from Openspace. It plans to use the additional funding to further build out its technology capabilities and expand its asset classes. The company also plans to expand the availability of its app and services throughout key additional international markets. This expansion is…
Validus, TTC Group and Do Ventures form joint venture to expand access to credit for SMEs in Vietnam
Validus Vietnam, the Vietnam entity of Singapore-based small and medium enterprises (SME) growth financing platform Validus, TTC Group, a multi-industry conglomerate in Vietnam and Indochina, and Do Ventures, an early-stage venture investment fund in Vietnam announced Friday a joint venture (JV) to drive financial inclusion and empower the growth of…
Japan’s JCB injects $5M in Malaysian fintech firm Soft Space in strategic partnership
Soft Space Sdn Bhd announced a new strategic partnership with Japanese international payment brand, JCB Co. Ltd. This strategic partnership is the first of its kind in Malaysia for the payment gian. It involves a combination of $5 million investment in Soft Space and a series of business collaborations that are aimed at capitalising on Soft Space's…
Singapore cross-border payment firm Thunes kicks off expansion into Greater China
Thunes plans to significantly accelerate the expansion of its operations in Greater China, spanning mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau. This news follows the recent appointment of Daphne Huang, Senior Vice President (SVP) for Greater China, who will leverage her deep market expertise to spearhead Thunes' growth strategy.
Australian fintech startup Airwallex launches global payment services in Singapore
Airwallex announced Thursday its official launch in Singapore, following its grant of a Major Payment Institution (MPI) license by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and a beta launch in November last year. Singapore businesses can now benefit from Airwallex’s suite of global payments services including global account issuance, domestic and cross-border…
Southeast Asia neobank Crowdo closes $5.9M pre-Series B convertible bridge round from Gobi, Ivest
The funds will be used to expand Crowdo’s neobank platform in Singapore and Indonesia and scale its ESG financing portfolio. Crowdo is headquartered in Singapore but fully licensed by the Indonesian financial authority Otoritas Jasa Keuangan for digital lending in since 2017. The fintech is also registered with the Securities Commission Malaysia.
Fintech startup Paywatch raises $5.23M in seed funding round led by Third Prime and others
Paywatch has raised MYR21.9 million ($5.23 million) in a seed funding round led by US venture capital firm Third Prime and prominent family offices in Singapore and Hong Kong. SparkLabs, Won & Partners and CTK Investments also participated in this round. Operating in South Korea, Malaysia and Hong Kong, the company plans to use the fresh funds to…
